'Guards at the Taj' and more Boulder-area events for Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018

Guards at the Taj — In Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company's regional premiere production of Rajiv Joseph's "Guards at the Taj," a black comedy set in Agra, India, in 1648, two lifelong friends stand watch on the night before the first unveiling of the Taj Mahal. As the action of the play unfolds, the two must take part in an act of unfathomable cruelty; 7:30 p.m. today and through Feb. 18, Grace Gamm Theater at The Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder; $20-$45; betc.org.

Public Lecture by Katharine Jefferts Schori — Episcopal Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori will give a public lecture. As visiting scholar at the University of Colorado, she will explore the dynamic nature of truth and the questions it raises about race, rights, reality and relationships. Register at colorado.edu/cwctp/news-events/events; 5:30 p.m., Hale Science Bldg., CU, 1350 Pleasant St., Boulder; free.

How to Screw Up Your Life — Luna and Ray Johnson are a married couple in "How to Screw Up Your Life!" which is part of Theatre Made in Boulder. What's worse, they are also a couple of actors. One day they decided to put their screwed up lives, along with their screwed up kids, on the boards, and a hit show was born; 7:30 p.m., Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder; thedairy.org.

New and Old works from Robert Spellman — Visit the new exhibits at Naropa University Art Galleries, including "Bombers, Books, and Bugs: New and Old Works from Robert Spellman"; through March 2, Nalanda Naropa Universtiy, 6287 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder; free.

Barley-Har-Har Comedy Open Mic Night — Open mic nights are a chance for comedians to get onstage and work on new jokes, have fun with an audience and, generally, increase the quality of their stand-up. Come with big smiles and laughter, ready to support our local comics on their way to greatness. The show is not rated and is not considered family friendly. Interested in signing up for an open mic slot? Visit bubcomedy.com/open-mic-sign-up to read house rules and sign up; 9 p.m., Friday, 300 Suns Brewing, 335 1st Ave., Unit C, Longmont; 300sunsbrewing.com/events.

"Ocean Cities" world premiere — In this era of climate change and sea level rise, how can coastal cities around the world innovate and connect to the oceans they border? A 50-minute documentary, "Ocean Cities: Exploring Our Connection to the Sea," by Chuck Davis and professor Tim Beatley, filmed in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Monterey, Vancouver, Baltimore, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, will have its world premiere; 7 p.m., Saturday, eTown, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder; etown.org.